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Sunday, August 31, 2008

Mini break

On Wednesday, I accepted an offer join a friend for a quick one-night getaway on Saturday. One of her closest friends was in the midst a summer hibernation/cocoon/escape/unwind/sanity break at her family's 1910 rustic cabin in Fawnskin (Big Bear) and welcomed our friendly company. Now, the 'me' that I know is always the planner/organizer for such things, so to take a spontaneous trip away where I didn't have to plan much of anything is a welcome change. Don't get me wrong, I like planning trips (and I'm damn good at it if I may say so myself), but to have my biggest worry be to make sure I pack my New Moon book so I could finish it is just soooo lovely indeed. No stress.

One of the best parts about being away is that I am only responsible for myself and I relish it - every glorious minute of it. It's hard meeting the needs of demanding five year olds all day and sometimes it feels overwhelming and tedious. Some days I just want to lock myself in my room, with earplugs, and let them fend for themselves. But, then there is the traumatizing-your-kid-for-life thing, and I'm trying to avoid that (damn those peanut butter crackers!). Anyway, back to the cabin...of course, we were respectful to each other as a cohesive group, but no one is insulted if I don't want to go for a walk, and if someone felt like eating they ate. Vodka cocktail at 3:30? Go for it! I was so deeply involved with the completely engrossing story of my book to the point where I ate breakfast, appreciating the yummy popovers and conversation, but totally anxious to return to that fantasy world, and these women understood that even though I hadn't said a thing (or maybe they just noticed my twitching) and sweetly said it's okay to excuse myself and go back to my reading couch. No tantrums or hurt feelings.

Would I be able to stay in a mountain cabin for two weeks alone all by myself with only books and squirrels to keep me company? A few days? Absolutely. Two weeks? Maybe, not sure. And, do I wish I had more spontaneous time away from home talking, reading, and eating away my free time in relative peace? Of course. But, I'll take my 30.75 hours away from home and be happy. You've got to take what you can get.